


photos from a disposable camera

by laanatdelrey



Series: asheiji in quarantine [2]
Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: COVID-19, Chaos, Chill, Cookies, Love Letters, M/M, Nightmare, Peace, Quarantine, ash gets a camera and tries photography, it's all good here, living peacefully in izumo aha, photography!!, they are v chaotic tbh, to eiji
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25645582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laanatdelrey/pseuds/laanatdelrey
Summary: They stood back, admiring their handiwork. The wall of their tiny bedroom displayed an array of photos hanging on twinkle lights, giving the once blank wall a sense of life, serving as a canvas for the two to illustrate their story--a story of their time in quarantine, their interlinked bond, their trust, their love for each other.Ash tries photography and decorates the walls of the bedroom they shared with photos he took of Eiji.
Relationships: Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji
Series: asheiji in quarantine [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1839790
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	photos from a disposable camera

**Author's Note:**

> Dear reader,
> 
> Welcome back to part 2 of the asheiji in quarantine series! Ash decided to try photography and bought a lil camera to capture memories :)) he and eiji ended up decorating the apartment together with ash’s photos. obviously, I wrote this back when quarantine was a new thing and we were all looking for a way to quench our quarantine boredom. Nowadays, no one seems to care about the pandemic. 
> 
> I'm not very good with incorporating emotions in my writing. But I hope you can see that.
> 
> Take care everyone :D
> 
> \- M, @E1B1OKUMURA on twitter

Clipping the last photo on the string of pictures, Ash and Eiji finally finished hanging all of their photos on their bedroom wall.

They stood back, admiring their handiwork. The wall of their tiny bedroom displayed an array of photos hanging on twinkle lights, giving the once blank wall a sense of life, serving as a canvas for the two to illustrate their story--a story of their time in quarantine, their interlinked bond, their trust, their _love for each other._

“It looks nice,” Eiji admitted softly.

“Each picture on the wall tells a story,” Ash elaborated, “Of how...I experience life with you.

“Now you’re thinking like a photographer. I can’t believe you purchased a disposable camera for yourself.”

Ash stared back at the photos, deep in an abyss of thoughts. “Yeah.”

__________

  
  


_“Our online shopping order arrived!” Eiji exclaimed, “It took two weeks though, yeesh! I’ve been waiting for the extra set of wide lenses I ordered for my camera.” Ash grabbed a pair of scissors and opened the box. Pushing the packaging peanuts, Eiji retrieved his lens set and saw another small, rectangular box buried in the abyss of peanuts. “Oh, wait, there’s another thing!”_

_He rummaged through the packaging and fished out a yellow Kodak camera box. “A disposable camera? I didn’t order this.”_

_“Oh, that’s mine,” Ash admitted and picked up the box. Eiji blinked at him owlishly._

_“Ash..you bought a camera?”_

_“Yup.”_

_“Wow. I’m surprised.”_

_Eiji knew how Ash had a traumatizing time with cameras growing up and refused to be in front of any. He recalled his first encounter with Ash, where Ash muttered “not the face” in response to Eiji’s question, who was asking permission to take his photo for the magazine he and Ibe were working on. However, as Ash and Eiji grew closer, he became more comfortable being the subject for Eiji’s photos and didn’t mind having his photo taken. Eiji’s camera was a symbol of trust and capturing memories of their time together, and Ash knew that Eiji would never intentionally hurt him._

_Now Ash wanted to take pictures, just like Eiji. That would give him something new to experiment with besides going on his phone or sleeping in until the afternoon._

_“I want to try photography,” Ash said softly, “And take..pictures. And decorate with them. I’ve never held a disposable camera, though.”_

_“That would be so cool!” Eiji beamed, “We can get these photos processed. I’ll teach you how to use one--my sister Kaori and I used to fool around with her disposable camera as kids! Let's hang them up on the wall--”_

_“And put them on strings and display them like a basic Tumblr Polaroid display!”_

_“Yeah!”_

_“I wanna host a photo exhibition type-of-thing. A collection of memories. By yours truly, Ash Lynx.” He winked and flashed a peace sign, flicking his blonde hair._

_Eiji smirked. “I would love to see it. You better make a cool exhibition, Callenreese. I’ll be waiting.”_

__________

  
  


“Taking pictures with this thing wasn’t that difficult, to be honest.” Ash explained, as his eyes scanned the photos, “Just point and shoot. The pictures don’t come out immediately as a Polaroid camera would, and you can’t see what the photo looks like until you get them processed. I like that part. It’s kind of like a fun surprise.” 

“I agree. We made a lot of weird faces at the camera though,” said Eiji as he gestured towards a few photos of bizarre facial expressions. Eiji in the middle of sneezing. Ash shoving his nostril on the camera. Double chins. Tongues sticking out. Eiji flipping off the camera. Flashing his signature shit-eating grin at the camera.

“Well, besides all of these ugly pictures you took of me, you really outdid yourself. You make me feel cherished and...pretty for once.”

“Oh come on, Eiji! You were always pretty!” 

Eiji chuckled as if it was a joke. “Not really.”

Ash pouted and wrapped a long arm around him. “No, Eiji. You’re _beautiful_. Don’t argue with me, alright? You’re gorgeous.”

Eiji leaned on his shoulder, hiding in his shoulder while peeping at the photos. “I guess.”

Together, they glanced at a few of their favorite photos displayed on the wall and recalled their fondest memories together.

**Cinnamon Buns**

_**A** _ **content looking Eiji gr** **acefully cracking the eggs into the bowl. Donning a pink messy apron and a serene smile in place, Eiji appeared to be humming a soft tune, smiling gently at himself.**

___

_It became a ritual of theirs._

_Every Saturday night, after dreadingly long zoom meetings and dinner, they would bake something together. They made peanut butter cookies, standard chocolate chip cookies, and raspberry cheesecake cookies. However, they felt extra bold today and decided to settle on making cinnamon buns. Sounds cool, right?_

_Oh, boy._

_The entire kitchen was a beautiful mess, as shown through Ash’s messy pictures. Flour spilled everywhere on the counters and on the floor. Bowls of failed sugary syrup stuck on the counter, ants crawling and extremely sticky. Sugar was everywhere. Gordon Ramsey would not be happy._ _  
  
_

_They were on their second batch of buns. The first one burned in the oven, and now they were trying to make the second set of cinnamon buns tastier. They just shoved the sheet of buns in the oven and were now waiting for them to bake. Of course, Ash took pictures throughout the entire process. Click. The messy counters. Click. The failed set of cinnamon rolls. Click. Eiji mixes the bowl, happily humming a soft tune._

_Ash peeped through the hole in his camera and pointed at the shot of the cinnamon buns glowing a golden tint in the oven, a waft of cinnamon and coziness already taking over his nose. However, he didn’t seem to realize that Eiji was behind him. He felt a sweaty pair of hands coated in flour grip the sides of his face, wiping the excess on Ash’s cheeks._

_“Eiji!” Ash whined, “You’re so mean! Now I look like a mess, just like you!”_

_The boy in question was completely covered in a mixture of flour, butter, and syrup from head to toe. Sparkly sugar in his dark ebony strands. Flour all over his face. Cinnamon batter on his apron, staining his tee-shirt. He flashed a sly smirk at Ash, then wiped the mixing bowl with his bare hands, now coated in the mixture. Holding them in front of them, palms open, he took a step. Then another. Then another._

_“I’M GONNA CHASE YOU ASH!” He hollered, now sprinting after Ash, who started squealing like a pig. Ash darted across the kitchen and around their tiny apartment. Unfortunately, Eiji is a fast runner. He threw himself on Ash and wiped his dirty hands on Ash, collapsing on the floor together, giggling joyously._

_“Eijiiiii! I’m gonna have to take a shower now!” Ash groaned._

_Eiji plugged his nose. “Stinky American boy. Take a shower, you fart.”_

_“At least my armpits don’t smell like natto!” Ash retorted, then got up to wash the remaining batter off his hair._

_The second batch of buns didn’t turn out that good either-; they were too bland. Even though the buns now went to waste, well...at least they made memories together. Very messy ones_. 

____

“Those cinnamon buns may not have been tasty, and I had to take a long shower after this. But it was worth it.”

“Yeah.”

**Lipstick Kisses**

**A pair of photos of a joyous looking Eiji mid laughter, a pretty pink blush on his face and lipstick printed kisses all over his face, coupled with a mischievous looking Ash wearing smudged red lipstick.**

___

_“AAASH! That—-HAHAHAA!” He exclaimed while breaking into a fit of giggles._

_Sprawled on the carpeted floor, Ash was holding him tightly in his arms, pressing a million kisses on his face—on his cheeks, his forehead, his lips, and his button nose, leaving a trail of red lipstick kisses all over his face. “Angel cakes.” a kiss on his nose. “Darling.” another one on his cheek. “My cutie patootie.” on the corner of his mouth.” Eiji couldn’t stop giggling, turning as red as a tomato. “STAWWWWP!”_

_“STAAAAAwWwwwwp!” Ash mimicked in a high pitched baby voice, grinning. Then leaned in to plant another kiss on his forehead._

_Ash found a random lipstick buried in the bottom of his desk drawer and thought of messing around with it, and getting his revenge after the Baking Incident by giving him a load of kisses and tickling him._

_After Ash was done, he let Eiji go, who rolled around the floor giggling, covering his face. He slowly uncovered his hands from his hands to reveal a face covered with lipstick kisses and a goofy grin. “Your kisses tickle!” Eiji giggled, rolling around. Ash couldn’t help but burst out laughing too, and snapped a photo of Eiji laughing, and flipped the camera to take a photo of himself._

_They descended into a good laughing fit for a while until they fell silent, stomachs hurting from laughing too hard. In the corner of Ash’s eye, he sees Eiji reach out for the red lipstick lying next to Ash, and snatched it._

_“Eiji? What are you doing?” Ash exclaimed as Eiji uncapped the lipstick, quickly applying it on his lips. “Wait--give it back! It’s mine!” He yelled as he tried to reach for the lipstick, Eiji dangling it away from his hands. “My turn!” He announced, and started to run towards Ash. “NOOOOOOO!” Ash wailed in despair as Eiji pounced on him, bombarding him with kisses._

_It was hard getting revenge on Eiji. That bastard._

__________

  
  


**Mangoes**

**Three photo sets of Eiji going through an intense allergic reaction. He’s holding the camera while taking a selfie, peace signing while donning watery red eyes, a slightly red, itchy face, and wearing a bright smile on his face.**

_“Eiji! Why are you taking pictures of yourself during a frickin’ allergic reaction?”_

_There was Eiji, wheezing in the kitchen and taking selfies of himself with the disposable camera. They ordered fruit salad that unfortunately had mango in it, hence Eiji having an allergic reaction. And Ash felt bad._ _Luckily, it wasn’t a bad reaction, they were able to stop it with simple over-the-counter medicine that was beginning to settle in Eiji’s system._

_Ash couldn't comprehend how he continued to have a laidback personality despite having an allergic reaction to mangoes._

_“It’s not funny!” Ash cried, “You’re having an allergic reaction and you decide to take selfies?”_

_“What? I look pretty hot while having an allergic reaction, don’t ‘cha think?” Eiji attempted to wink, then sneezed._

_Ash rushed over to his side, “Hey, you need to take it easy, okay?” said Ash, a hint of worry present on his face._

_“Don’t worry about it, it’s just a small allergy!” Eiji wheezed, “I have this thing where I take pictures of myself during a reaction. It’s a funny thing. Although my skin is itchy.”_

_“I’m going to get cream for you, okay?” said Ash, and pecked his forehead and walked across the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinet to find the medical cream. He returned and squirted some cream on his fingers, carefully rubbing it on Eiji’s red face._

_Once the cream was applied on Eiji’s face, he rubbed on it, trying to itch. “Don’t do that Eiji,” said Ash as he gently batted Eiji’s hands away from his face, “You’re going to rub the medicine off.”_

_“But it’s so itchy~~” Eiji whined._

_“I know, Eiji. Just hang in there.” He rubbed more cream on Eiji’s hands, over his red spots. Wrapping the remaining spots with a bandage, he tugged on his fingers to brush a gentle kiss on his fingers. “Are you okay?”_

_“I feel better,” said Eiji as he buried his face on Ash's shoulder, exhausted. He gently combed through Eiji’s ebony strands, calming him down. “Next time, make sure you read the ingredients before ordering a fruit salad. Although I wish you were allergic to natto instead.”_

_Eiji looked up, an innocent, sweet smile on his face. He grabbed a thin cookbook that was lying nearby, and thwacked him hard on the face.” “ <STUPID BITCH!>” He yelled in Japanese. _

__________

**Late Night Dreams**

“I think this one is my favorite set.” said Ash, “I had a bad nightmare that night. And you took me out to the balcony and you cuddled with me. I couldn’t begin to describe how cherished and loved I felt at that time. And that’s why I love being with you.”

**A series of photos dangling on one line. The duo appears to be on the balcony, huddled in blankets, and in each other’s warmth. From the night skies to selfies of them cuddling together in one blanket, Ash’s cheek pressed up next to Eiji’s smiling brightly despite the sleepiness in his eyes, and a content looking Ash tucked under Eiji’s chin.**

__________

_Another day, another nightmare._

_Ash woke up, heaving short, gasping breaths. His breathing labored, anxiety overtaking him, as he shot up from his bed and started gasping, feeling yet another panic attack coming in. His body wouldn’t stop shaking, and like a pot of boiling water, he felt his face burn with fear and tears well up inside of him._

_“Ash?” Eiji asked sleepily, “Is everything alright?”_

_He whipped his head around, seeing only darkness engulfed in him. Ash shook his head vigorously, feeling his heart thump against his chest aggressively as hot tears began spilling down his cheeks, whimpering. A light turned on, and a gentle hand settled on his back. “I’m right here, Aslan.”_

_Ash took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down while sniffling. Eiji opened his arms to invite him for a hug, and Ash reciprocated, hiding his face in Eiji’s arms. Gently combing fingers through Ash’s hair, Eiji spoke, “Do you want to talk about it?”_

_He shook his head._

_Eiji continued to stroke his hair, whispering calming words, reminding him he was okay and safe in Japan. They remained like this for a moment, holding Ash in his arms and calming him down. Ash was improving in therapy, but his nightmares would still take place when he was feeling the most vulnerable._

_Ash opened his mouth as if he was going to ask Eiji something, but no words would come out. They remained clogged in his chest. He tried again. Only a sound escaped from his mouth._

_“Ash? Do you need anything?”_

_Ash squeaked, trying to force the words out of his mouth. He pointed to the window instead and coughed._

_“You want me to open the window?”_

_He shook his head and gestured with his head again._

_“Oh, you want to go outside?” Ash nodded vigorously. “Okay, Let's go outside together, I’ll bring your blanket. It’s quite chilly tonight.”_

_He helped Ash out of the bed, who clung to him tightly. Eiji wrapped his weighted blanket around Ash, tucking him in, and they huddled to the balcony of their tiny apartment._

_It was a still, clear night. There was nothing except a few stars sprinkled across the sky. The Land Of Gods was sleeping; no signs of life were visible. Indeed, everyone was asleep._

_Eiji laid out a blanket and a few pillows on the floor of the balcony, then gestured for Ash to sit. Ash sat on the spot next to Eiji, who wrapped an arm around Ash’s torso, holding him tightly._

_“Take some deep breaths. The fresh air will calm you down.” Eiji told him._

_Ash took deep breaths and counted to five, fresh air entering his system. Slowly, he exhaled, letting the anxieties escape from him. Finally, he was able to speak._

_“I want my camera, it’s in my bedside drawer.” He told Eiji._

_“I’ll get it for you,” he was going to get up when Ash grabbed his arm tightly. “Um—if you leave me alone..I might cry. C-can you go with me?”_

_“That’s alright.” Said Eiji, as he gripped Ash’s hand, fingers laced together, and walked to the bedroom together, bringing the disposable camera. They returned to their position, Ash snuggled and laying his head on Eiji’s shoulder, and Eiji wrapping his arm around him, huddled under the blanket. Ash kissed Eiji’s cheek. “Thank you,” Eiji ruffled his hair in return._

_Ash held the disposable camera between his hands. He lifted his camera and peeped through the hole, beginning to take pictures. Click. The night sky. Click. Their legs tangled up together. A cold breeze settled, and the pair huddled closer together, Eiji resting his head on Ash’s, stroking his cheek. Ash flipped the camera and Eiji placed a forehead kiss on Ash, who closed his eyes blissfully. Click. They snuggled in closer, Ash pressing his cheek against Eiji’s, and took in the night sky._

_“I love you, Eiji,” said Ash sleepily, as his eyes fluttered shut. Eiji gripped his fingers and pressed a kiss on his knuckles._

_“I love you, too. Try to get some sleep, okay?”_

_Ash rested on his shoulder for a while, until Eiji heard soft snoring. He looked down to see Ash curled up peacefully, cheek squished on Eiji’s shoulder. Almost like an angel._

_Carefully, Eiji wrapped Ash in his weighted blanket and folded the corners in so he was swaddled. He lifted him up gently, careful not to disturb Ash in his sleep, and carried him on his arms to their bedroom. When they laid down, Ash snuggled up closed to Eiji, mumbling something in his sleep._

_“Shh, go to sleep alright? Love you, Aslan. Sweet dreams.” and pressed a soft kiss on Ash’s forehead._

__________

“I’m so grateful to be with you,” admitted Eiji, after gazing at his photos. “I can’t believe how much you love me. I just feel so...cherished with you. I hope I can be with you forever.”

Ash tucked a lock of hair behind his ear. “I’ll never leave you no matter what, Eiji.”

And they both leaned in for a kiss, the photos on the wall, their mementos of love, now sparking brightly thanks to the twinkle lights, giving their room a sense of life. Who knew that after those two chaotic years of being together in America were they finally able to return to a world of peace?

Indeed, they were meant for each other. 

**Author's Note:**

> this took days to write, I'm so tired aha
> 
> have a nice day!! feel free to comment :)


End file.
